New Beginnings
by Cadet Jeevas
Summary: Based around a girl who moves to Point Place, Saige Scott, who befriends the gang after helping Fez escape jocks on his first day of school. She has no difficulty with fitting into the group, except for Hyde, who chooses to avoid her because of how similar they are. Romance. Hyde/OC. Rating is subject to change. T/M (Abandoned, regretfully. Sorry, friends. I appreciate the support)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1. The New Girl.

What do you do when there's nothing to do, man? Where do you go when the one place you called home abandons you? Who do you confide to when all your "friends" would rather worry about their primitive, sheltered lives than about issues that truly matter? The world is such a vast landscape of space that is wasted on a society that deems it to not be good enough. Life can be such a bitch at times – times when people only care for themselves and not those who are truly suffering.

My life growing up was anything but a walk through the park, but I managed. And by managed, I mean I toned out the excessive shouting and swearing with rock music. My parents – when I was a young girl - weren't exactly a good, positive influence in my life. My mother refused to work and spent her days drinking which meant my father had to go out and work his ass off all day, every day. My father, while he has always been an amazing person, had to deal with an alcoholic woman who didn't care for anyone but herself. However, eventually, they had a divorce, he was able to claim custody of me and we went on our way. Because he needed to find a job that didn't take up all his time but still paid well, we had to move around all my life. Eventually, we were able to make it out to Seattle and remained there for a few years, but recently we were forced to move all the way to Point Place, Wisconsin. While Wisconsin seemed nice, not much happened early on in my arrival, causing me to be a bit skeptical of the place.

After the first few days of being there, my father set me up into the public school system. I wasn't nervous for my first day of school, rather bored since every school thus far in my travels has been the same. School – to me – always seemed like one of those pointless things that adults made you attend so you'd stay out of trouble with the law. While that's all fine and dandy, I could think of plenty more exciting ways to keep the youth out of trouble, such as allowing them to find their own constructive hobbies and learning skills for the world through their own resources and minds.

It was my first day of public education in Wisconsin and I started my morning with a headache that cried for caffeine. I woke up late which meant that I'd have to settle for a simple black t-shirt with a band logo on it and dark, ripped jeans. I hurriedly straightened my hair and penciled in thin, smoky eyeliner around my eyes, made myself a cup of tea, and ran to catch the bus that almost abandoned me in my front yard. If there was one thing that irked me more than the education system, it was buses. If it was up to me, I'd have a nice motorcycle or van to hop in and ride everywhere I needed or wanted to be. However, that is not a luxury I can – or will – be able to afford anytime soon considering that my father and I are lucky enough to have found a nice, small house for a relatively affordable price.

The bus ride to the high school was loud and obnoxious, considering that high schoolers should've learned maturity in intermediate school but clearly didn't. Once I arrived at school, I was able to drown out the chatter for at least the first half of the day. My classes went by rather quickly and eventually it was the end of my first day. However, after exiting the building, I realized that my bus left without me since I had taken an extra minute – more than I should have – to talk to one of my teachers about his class.

With a loud – and obnoxious – sigh, I realized that I would have to trudge the five miles it would take me to walk home in the cold. As I made my way through the school parking lot, I noticed a few jocks wrestling a foreign student to the ground. Angered by this, I ran up to the scene and tried to get them off of him. While I wasn't able to beat my way through them, I was able to get some attention from others who decided to help me. A redheaded girl came up and yelled at them.

"Yo! Just because he's a foreign exchange student doesn't mean that you can hit him like that!"

The jocks turned to see me and the redhead girl.

"I'm sorry ladies, it's just our duty," The tallest one said.

"What? To be a complete asshole and make him hate America?" I fired back.

One of the other jocks squealed, "Well, he shouldn't have come here anyways!"

"Screw you guys," The redhead said and helped me pick the foreign kid up and onto his feet.

We helped the foreign kid walk over to a bench across the street from the school.

"Thank you very much, ladies. Are all American males so rude?"

I shook my head, "Not usually, man. Jocks just need to assert power by preying on the 'weak'."

"Ah, I see."

The redheaded girl looked at me and asked, "Are you new to this school too? I've never seen you around here before."

"Yeah, I just moved to Point Place a few days ago," I gave her a small smile. "My name's Saige. You?"

She took my hand to shake it, "Donna. Look, if you two want to come hang out with me and some of my friends, you can. We usually hang out in my friend Eric's basement for a few hours after school. I was actually heading there before the whole incident. My friend Jackie can give us all a ride, if you want?"

The foreign boy became giddy, "Alright!"

Donna looked at me, "You comin' Saige?"

I weighed my options. Go hang out with people who could be potentially lame or chill or go home and listen to Zeppelin.

"Eh, I suppose I'll come check it out. Thanks, man."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2. Dazed and Confused.

While I was extremely grateful for a ride back to my new neighborhood, I was also incredibly annoyed the whole trip back listening to Donna's obnoxious, self-centered friend Jackie. Apparently she likes boys and rainbows, which is rad for her I guess but I couldn't care less. As it turn out, though, apparently I live on the same street as all of the others in the group, which would make it beneficial for me to befriend them for free rides home and to school without taking the bussing services. It's not using people if they benefit from me befriending them, right?

Donna and Jackie led the foreign kid – his name is Fez, I believe – and I down to Eric's basement where there was a group of guys together in a smoky circle laughing their asses off. After meeting Jackie, I was a bit skeptical of how their friends would be, but after seeing the circle, I knew I'd fit in just fine with this new group.

Donna laughed awkwardly, "Sorry, Saige, they might be a bit baked right now, but trust me, they're really cool when they're _not_ high, right guys?"

"Oh, hey Donna? Can you go get us something to eat?" One of them chuckled.

There were three of them. I knew one was Eric and one was Michael, because of the conversation with Jackie on the way back from school. I assumed that the one who spoke was Michael, because he resembled a dumbass. The lanky one I presumed Eric. The curly haired one still remained nameless, but he didn't really seem that rad anyways, considering how dazed and confused he was high. I wondered how they all acted when they weren't under any influences but I wasn't sure if I cared enough to stick around and find out.

" _No_ , Kelso. I can't. I'm hanging out with my new friend, Saige."

He didn't seem to notice that she responded and went back to being amazed by how 'big' his hands were. He kind of seemed like a lightweight…. Or complete idiot.

Jackie began coughing due to all the smoke, pouted at Kelso for a moment, and left. That was one annoyance gone. After some time of chatting with Donna and Fez, they said they had to go home as well and I decided to walk with them. There was no use in being in a room full of stoned adolescences when you didn't know them well enough to mess with them or partake in the fun.

"I'm sorry about them…" Donna apologized once we were at my house. She lived right next to Eric, but decided to walk with me to my house, which was only a few houses down on the opposite end of the street.

"Don't worry, Donna. It is completely fine." I opened my front door and offered a light grin. "See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

The following day I woke up late to rain showers outside. I figured that the bus had already left so I knew I'd have to, sadly, walk five miles through muddy sidewalk to school…. Or I could skip and explore the town, which was a perfectly acceptable option for a Friday before a three-day weekend. _Skipping it is_ , I thought as I fell back into a deep sleep.

About what felt like an hour into my second round of napping, the doorbell chimed twice. My father was already gone, meaning that I'd have to get my ass out of bed and go get the door. Hair disheveled, makeup-less, in pajamas, I just crossed my fingers that it wouldn't be anybody that I knew.

"Oh, Donna…. Hey." I greeted uncomfortably as I opened my door. "Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

"It's three in the afternoon, Saige. Where were you today?" She seemed concerned. "I expected you there today, you didn't say anything about being busy. Are you sick?"

"No, I'm fine. I just missed the bus this morning and didn't want to walk in the rain," I admitted.

"Well, if you need a ride, next time just call or something. Jackie has her car and while it's small she usually only takes me or Kelso with her anyways."

"Thanks, Donna," I smiled.

I was about to close the door when she interjected with, "Oh, and there's a party at the Formans' tomorrow afternoon if you want to stop by. Everyone will be there and you'll get to at least meet them for the people they are when they're sober."

I chuckled, "Thanks."

After exchanging phone numbers and goodbyes, I went upstairs, burned some musky incense, and fell back asleep for the rest of the day and through the night. The party offer did sound nice though. There would probably be beer there. And if not, I could always leave. I decided I'd go the next day. I mean, it could be fun…..


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3. Foreman's Pretty Rad, I Guess.

After my father discovered that I ditched school, he tried to keep me from attending Eric's party, however after much consideration he decided to let me on the account that I told him that I would "never find any friends if _they_ rejected me." I hated manipulating my father, however sometimes it had to be done for me to get what I wanted. And, hey, at least I'm not as malicious as Jackie seemed to be.

I wasn't sure if the party was a casual affair or not, so I went with casual after deciding I didn't care if the other girls were adorned in dresses. A Pink Floyd t-shirt and ripped black leggings with boots and a thin dark jean jacket since it was kind of chilly when I walked outside. I didn't care what people thought about me in Seattle and I didn't care what people thought of me in Wisconsin. Nobody would stop me from acting and looking how I am. Thankfully, it wasn't bright out today so I didn't have to go back inside to grab my sunglasses after already saying goodbye to father – I was extremely light sensitive.

Once I arrived at the Foreman's house – I went through the back way which led straight to the basement – I was greeted by Eric, Donna, and Curly Hair who appeared to be still waiting for Kelso, Jackie, and Fez. Donna and Eric were talking amongst themselves on the couch while Curly Hair stared grouchily at the television and ignored his surroundings; he didn't even seem to notice the noise of the door closing.

"Oh, hey, Saige! How're you?" Donna greeted me with a hug.

"Tired, but good. You?" I responded.

"Tired? Didn't you sleep for like eighteen hours?" She laughed. She turned to the guys. "Oh, Eric, Hyde. This is Saige. She moved here from Seattle last week. She's really cool."

Eric smiled and greeted me. Hyde looked at me intently for a moment, nodded, and pointed his attention back to the television. I couldn't tell his expression through his glasses, but he seemed kind of out of it, I guess…. That was probably it. I haven't done anything to offend anybody yet, so it wouldn't have been my personality that put him off.

"I've heard a lot about you so far, you seem really cool, Saige," Eric seemed to be really sweet; this was a trait in friends I wasn't used to. Usually, I hung around the low-lifes who didn't really do much and were assholes… however, this kid had something going for him, I could tell. He seemed quite intelligent, more so than Kelso or Jackie.

I wasn't sure about Hyde, yet, though, so I decided to test the waters.

"Nice shirt, Hyde. I love Zeppelin. What other bands are you into?" I inquired.

I received a muttered response of, "The good ones."

Cool. I didn't need to get along with him anyways. If he wanted to play asshole, I'd play it back.

That was about the time when Foreman's parents came down to tell Eric something. His mother greeted me kindly, while his father just nodded. After they walked back up the stairs, Jackie paraded in, followed by Kelso.

"Hi, guys!" She bubbled.

We all hung around the television for a while, Fez eventually showed up. Eric's parents seemed to be having their own party upstairs, because Hyde insisted that Eric steal some beers from his parents. Eventually, he and Kelso amped him with courage to do it. While he was upstairs, they were all energetically talking about how they really wanted beer and hoped that he wouldn't forget to make sure it was cold. I for one was definitely pleased that I decided to come, since there would – like I wished – be beer.

Eventually, Eric came back down with four beers. Four? Jackie didn't seem interested in one, but that still left one person out. He threw one to everyone but me.

"Eric…" Donna's voice warned. "What about Saige?"

"What about her…?" Then it clicked. "Oh! Oh, right…. Kelso, give Saige your beer."

"No way, man!" Kelso protested.

I sighed. "It's fine, guys…" Dammit. I sat down and stared at the ground in utter disappointment.

The next thing I knew, I was being nudged in the shoulder. When I looked up, it was Hyde offering me a cup. He had poured half his beer into it. I was baffled.

"It's really not a huge deal, man." I insisted.

He sighed, "Take it."

I took it and offered a quiet, "Thank you." to which I received no response and didn't expect one.

Odd. I thought he didn't like me. He probably still doesn't but it was a kind offer. But, why would I care if he doesn't like me anyways?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4. Bend.

The rest of the weekend I decided to spend in the solitude and comfort of my own home. While I found it very sweet that Jackie wanted to go to the mall with me…. I didn't feel like hanging out with her at all in any way, shape, or form. She seemed like she _could_ be sweet, but honestly I found her to be a complete vain dumbass. As idiotic as her boyfriend, Kelso, seemed, I figured that he'd eventually have the common sense to leave her for someone at least with a kinder heart.

Monday came after spending Sunday drinking coffee and reading and I remembered that we had an extra day off because of some monumental holiday, so I decided that I'd get off my ass and do something. Donna said that she was going to be out with Jackie all day, because Jackie forced her instead of me to spend time with thankfully, so that meant that the guys would probably be chilling at Foreman's. Even though I wasn't particularly close with the gang yet, I figured that I could at least stop by for a few minutes to say hi.

After drinking a cup of tea, I shimmied back upstairs, got dressed in a black tank top and green bellbottoms, straightened my hair, and walked a few houses down to the Foremans' residence where I slipped in through the basement door. The door was, unsurprisingly, unlocked and I walked in to find Eric, Kelso, Hyde, and Fez circled around the table with incense lit in front of them. I didn't think they were high yet, but Hyde seemed to be preparing for it. When I closed the door behind me, they all looked up simultaneously towards the sound – they probably feared it was Foreman's father or someone else ready to bust them.

"Hey," I waved, kind of timidly and awkwardly. "Bad timing?"

"Yeah," Hyde spat. "No girls allowed in the circle."

"Oh, c'mon, Hyde; she's hot, man," Kelso retaliated. Hot?

"Yeah, Hyde. Do you not find her to be beautiful?" Fez inquired. Beautiful?

"Guys, shut up!" Eric insisted, getting annoyed with the morons. "You can stay, Saige."

"Yes, would you like to join us beautiful?" Fez requested.

I grinned. Score.

"Yeah, sure, guys. Thanks."

I purposely sat down next to Hyde to aggravate him. After a minute of passing around the blunt – or at least it felt like a minute, I couldn't tell – I was already in nirvana. My mind was soaked with radical ideas and schemes and my filter was gone. We were talking about the weirdest shit.

"So, Hyde, man, what's your problem with Saige?" Foreman asked, kind of chuckling a bit.

"Eh, I don't know man," Hyde seemed oblivious to the fact that I was right next to him, which was honestly hilarious. He must've taken a stronger hit than I did since I was coherent enough to know I'd be remembering some of it later. "I mean, she's kind of hot. But I don't want to date someone who's a hard ass, yknow?"

"Hyde, man, you know she's right next to you right?" Kelso was laughing his ass off.

"Oh, really? Weird, man." Hyde started chuckling to himself.

I didn't really say much, I was kind of just looking around in a daze. I couldn't particularly move – it had been a while since my last buzz and I wasn't used to the effects as much anymore. I was hungry, though…

I woke up the next morning a bit confused of my surroundings. It wasn't where I would ever expect to be and it wasn't home. Now trust me when I say that I've woken up in various odd spots but they're usually…. Hygienic. I woke up on a dirty cot in a room filled with clothes, beer cans, and food. Fear set in as I realized that I must've fallen asleep at Foreman's, but…. This place wasn't Foreman's, since I'd been upstairs once and it looked nothing like this. I was definitely in a bedroom by the looks of it, but whoevers it was it was someone with a lower income or responsibilities, because of the looks. After a moment of speculating, fear set in. _Where the hell am I?_ I thought, internally panicking. I wanted to get up to investigate but I was too scared to do so. Shit, it was Tuesday, which meant that I had school. I felt around my pants pockets for my watch. It read 7:27. School begins at 8:30 every day and it is a twelve minute drive. _Wait…. What about dad? He's probably worried….. Unless he worked double shift and that's why he didn't come looking._

Eventually, the bedroom door opened and in the doorway stood Steven Hyde. He had a beer in his hand and looked at me without words.

"Where the hell am I, Hyde?" I insisted, sitting up on the bed and running my fingers through the knots in my hair.

"My house." Before I could ask why, he continued. "You passed out. I don't know where you live and if Red caught you he would've beat Foreman's ass. Sorry, I tried waking you, man, but you were just too out of it."

I nodded. After a moment, I asked, "So, um, beer in the morning?"

He smirked, "You want one, don't you?"

I smiled, "Well, if you insist, man."

He guided me through the clutter into his living room and let me sit down on the sofa while he went to go grab another beer from the kitchen. When he returned, he sat next to me and handed me a beer.

"Look, I just want to get things clear. I'm only being nice to you for the sake of the fact that you're in my house right now. Once you leave, I go back to avoiding you, man."

Well, damn, shots fired.

"Get bent, Hyde." Was my response. It was clearly clever too, because it caught him off guard. He looked agitated but smirked anyways. I took a big sip of my beer and chilled for a few minutes before asking, "So, do you have a car, because we have school today, man."

"I'm not letting the government force me to go to a place that corrupts my mind and wastes my time," He muttered. _Damn, that's something I'd say_ …. I wondered if he was mocking me but didn't dare ask.

I thought for a moment, "Well, then I should probably get home. My father will be worried."

I stood up and was ready to leave until I heard a response from Hyde.

"But you just started your beer, dude. Stay for a while. This might be your only chance to talk to someone this cool. Maybe we can go in the bedroom afterwards, too, if you're lucky."

" _Get bent_ , Hyde."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5. Playing with Fire.**

My father didn't notice the fact that I didn't attend school, which was good, because I didn't want him to think that I'd be getting myself into trouble again. He didn't really talk much when he got home from work, which I was very thankful for considering that I was incredibly moody from my morning experience. I couldn't pin point why it bothered me so much, however it did. I kept trying to tell myself that I'd still get along with the others and he'd just be missing out on my rad personality anyways, however it didn't work. I mean, I wasn't in to him – at least not to my coherent knowledge. Sure, he was attractive, but so am I and therefore I can date myself or someone better.

Wednesday rolled around quite nicely and I was able to catch a ride from Jackie. However, with Kelso being in the car with us, it changed Jackie from annoying to annoying and needy which made her borderline unbearable. There was an uncomfortable buzz surrounding my new group of friends, which I later discovered the reasoning from Eric. Apparently, Saturday was Eric's birthday and he knew he was getting a lame surprise party, which he couldn't convince his parents of otherwise hosting for him.

School was becoming exceedingly boring but I didn't have a car yet and therefore skipping would be difficult. I knew I'd have to discuss transportation with my father later, but I knew his answer would be hesitant unless I was able to find a way to pay…. That inevitably meant that I'd have to get a job and get off my lazy ass which I was not yet in the mood for.

At the end of the school day, we all met outside to converse (and smoke – for some of us) before going home. To my surprise, Eric had a car – a vista cruiser which honestly sounded better than something I'd be able to afford even with a steady job at a fast food joint.

"Nice ride, Eric," I complimented. The group kind of stood around it, admiring the fact that it was indeed a real vehicle and not some toy.

"My dad just gave it to me," Eric, trying to show off, just shrugged like it was nothing.

Hyde chuckled, "Okay, hotshot, calm down and take me home." He threw his cigarette on the ground and crushed it.

I did the same with my cigarette. I looked beside me to find that Jackie and Kelso left without telling me which meant I'd have to find my own ride or walk. I sighed and waved at them, muttering a quiet, "Later" before walking away.

"And where are you going?" Donna grabbed me by the shoulder and twisted me to facing them again.

"Home," I stated, with obvious sass slithering into my voice.

"Well, I can drive you," Eric said.

"Its fine, man, just let her walk," Hyde retaliated. Well, I changed my mind.

I smiled sourly at Hyde, "Yknow, actually, I think I'll accept Eric's offer." I turned my gaze back to Eric and said, "Thank you."

As I walked past Hyde to get into the backseat of the car, I whispered, "Get bent" in his ear. Since Donna and Eric are practically a thing, Donna rode shotgun, which meant I had Hyde next to me in the back. While the ride back to the house wasn't long, it was kind of aggravating. I wanted to get inside his head, understand what his problem with me was, and try to fix it…. Fix it? Why?

I had no clue why I was fixating myself on the fact that he didn't like me – without even getting to know me or expressing any valid, logical reasoning. It's like he determined right when he looked at me that he was not whatsoever interested in getting to know me, which made no sense at all.

Eric made it to my house and dropped me off. On my way out of the car, Eric and Donna both cheerfully told me goodbye while Hyde just grunted at me. Once I got upstairs to my bedroom, I lit incense, put on a Zeppelin record, opened a window, and fell asleep.

I was awoken what felt like a few hours later by the noise of what appeared to be someone trying to get into my house from my mirror. I almost screamed until I realized who it was. Hyde. It was already dark out, so nobody must've noticed this criminal act he committed. I had no clue why he was here.

I opened my mouth to speak when he tangled his lips around mine. His arms wrapped themselves around my waist as he deepened the kiss.

My eyes flew open. Everything around me was dark. None of that was real. It was a dream. But, why would I dream about that?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6. Surprise... I Guess.

The rest of the week trailed on slowly. Honestly, I didn't really do much. I helped my father unpack the remainder of our shit into the house. I was lectured on the fact that _this time_ I needed to really put myself out there and work hard. I searched for a job. I didn't hang out with the gang much besides getting rides to school from Jackie or Eric – whichever one was in a better mood… which was typically Eric.

Saturday, I was woken up around noon to my father shoving one of the cordless phones in my face and muttering something I couldn't really catch under his breath. I put the phone to my ear and groggily said, "Hello?"

"Saige, hello, it's Donna. Don't forget that we're surprising Eric over at the Foreman's in an hour. If you can, try to show up soon to help us decorate, please."

 _Oh, shit._

I climbed my way out from under the blankets and put away the phone. For a solid minute, I checked myself over in the mirror; I finally decided it would be best to shower before going anywhere. After a quick, freezing shower I dressed in a thin, brown V-neck sweater and jeans, straightened my hair, and put on neutral colored makeup. It was a windy day out so I dressed the top of my head in a light blue bandana.

Before I walked over to the Foremans', I chatted with my father who told me to go to the Photo Hut to get some pictures he had sent to be developed a few days before. So, I'd have to duck out of Eric's party early and walk a few miles… not a big deal. I needed some exercise anyways – ever since I moved I'd been becoming even lazier than before.

I entered the Foremans' through the side door, as per I was instructed by Eric's mom when she surprise-called me a few days ago. I was thankful that I arrived just minutes before Eric's "Surprise" Party began.

"Oh, sweetie, it's so good you're here. Now the whole gang is set," Eric's mother, Kitty, beamed with a cute cackle.

I smiled at her in response, feeling awkward around someone so sweet, and walked over to where Donna and Hyde stood towards the door to the basement.

"Hey, Saige, we're about to go get Eric to bring him up here," Donna said. "Why don't you come with us? I don't think he's expecting you to be here, so maybe that'll perk up the _surprise_."

I shrugged, "Why not?"

I walked down the staircase to the basement with them.

Hyde walked over to Eric, who was sitting – appearing dejected and annoyed – on the couch and put an arm on his shoulder.

"It's time for hell, man. C'mon, let's get this show over with before your mom tries to put more streamers up."

We all filed back upstairs, Eric trailing down behind us and rushed into the living room where everyone waited. We arrived there a few seconds before Eric and all stood around the room. When he walked in, Kitty laughed a "Surprise!" while everyone else kind of just stood there and pretended to have the same enthusiasm as his mother.

Eric feigned excitement and surprise for the sake of his mother, but most everyone – besides her – could tell this was false happiness. Regardless, Kitty got what she wanted which seemed to please everyone. The party was actually pretty fun, mostly because of the odd gifts Eric received from the guys'. Apparently, Donna had told Jackie that she got him something special, because Jackie was telling anyone who would listen besides Eric himself. Eventually, much to everyone's surprise, Eric's father – Red, I believe – was able to get all the adults to party at Donna's house so we had the house to ourselves.

Eric's sister made her first appearance of the night – it was the first time I met her. She seemed kind of sleazy from how everyone was reacting with her being there, but eventually left.

"Eric, do you have any _beer_?" Fez asked with a bit too much enthusiasm.

"Sorry, man," Eric responded.

I smiled. I had an idea. It was getting late and I had to go to the Photo Hut, so I could probably swing by there and then go find someone selling it illegally.

"Well, Fez, I have a way we can get some. However, I need a car and a driver."

Hyde almost fell out of his chair, feigning laughter, "Okay, so _you_ are going to get us beer."

I smirked, "Well, I also need twenty bucks, 'cause I'm not paying for what I'm not drinking, man."

Hyde rolled his eyes, "If you have a way to get us some beer, then I'm all ears. In fact, hell, I'll drive you in Foreman's car."

"Okay, so here's the plan. I have to go pick up pictures from the Photo Hut from my father, but I heard that the dude that owns the place is a total pothead and will sell us basically anything we want – including beer."

Hyde stood up, put his sunglasses and jacket on, and took Eric's keys from him. "Okay, princess, let's go see what we can accomplish. I've got twenty bucks." He turned to the others. "Kelso, do you have any cash?"

Kelso looked clueless.

"Jackie?" Hyde pressed.

"Fine, fine," Jackie said and threw him a fifty. Damn rich girl. Maybe she will be good company one day…. If we could get her to shut her damn mouth for two minutes.

And, so, with seventy bucks in hand and time alone with Hyde, I was determined to pick at his brain a bit. Or, at the very least, piss on his parade.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7. First Pit-Stop in Hell.

Honestly, I felt bad that we took Eric's car. I wasn't sure if Hyde would make a trustworthy driver, though I had to hope he was because he insisted on driving. The Photo Hut wasn't a long way by car, but I'd still have time to converse with him. I wanted to know why he was so bitter towards an acquaintance. There was an awkward silence in the vehicle while I formulated what I'd say. I couldn't really think of anything direct, however, so I tried being casual.

"That was a pretty sick gift you gave Eric, man," I said.

"Mmhmm," He mused.

Silence.

I decided to turn on the radio. The Grateful Dead, nice. I turned the volume up. This action seemed to spark something in Hyde.

"You have good tastes, man," He said quietly.

"Thanks," I smiled. "So, what kind of music are you interested in?"

"Oh, y'know, the good kind. Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, Jethro Tull, Rolling Stones…" He listed.

"Same," I responded.

"Don't tell the others I said this, but you're not as bad as I suspected, man," He told me as we pulled into the drive-thru of the Photo Hut. Oh? I'm not _as bad_?

There was no one at the drive-thru. After a minute of waiting there in silence, Hyde began getting annoyed and shouted, "Yo!"

A man groggily came up to the window. Yeah, we came to the right place. This dude was a complete hippie.

"Hey, man, I was trying to take a nap."

I held back a laugh, as Hyde said, "We're here to get the lady's pictures, man."

The Hippie looked at me, "Okay, last name, lady?"

"Scott," I stated.

The Hippie walked away from the window to go get my pictures.

"So, why didn't you like me to begin with?" I inquired.

Hyde shrugged, "Girls around here typically equal trouble. I mean have you seen Jackie?"

"What about Donna?" I added.

"Yeah, she's pretty chill I guess," He mumbled.

"You guess?"

"Yeah, I mean, she's not anything special…. Just a girl."

The way he said it made me think….

"You like her don't you?" I smirked.

He shook his head, "No! Maybe. But she's taken. Friday night we went out to see a concert and she kissed him, man."

"Oh, I'm sorry, man. There are always other girls, though," I shrugged. I wasn't really much for comforting people.

The Hippie came back to the window with my pictures. I handed Hyde the cash my father gave me to give to him.

"Oh, wait, before you go, are you sellin' anything man?" I asked.

"Such as?" Hippie's ears perked up slightly.

"Beer," Hyde said. "And misdemeanors."

The Hippie smiled, nodded, and walked away for a minute. He came back with everything. We left with thirty bucks left still. The drive back to Eric's we discussed music. We were almost back to Eric's house when we heard police sirens and saw lights echoing behind us. Hyde sighed out of frustration and stopped.

"Shit," He whispered.

"Maybe they won't look?" I tried to be helpful.

"Have you seen how we look? They'll look." He stated.

The police officer tapped on the window, which Hyde rolled open. He gave the officer a cheesy smile.

"License and registration."

Hyde pulled out a license, but said, "This is my friend's car, officer."

The officer rolled his eyes and checked over Hyde's license before handing it back. He looked around the car with his flashlight, which blinded me.

"What's in the bag, young lady?" He asked.

"Oh, pictures I just got developed… and a few groceries."

"Groceries? At nine o'clock at night?" He grabbed the bag from me and looked in it to chuckle. "Figures. You two are coming down to the station with me."

We sat together in a small holding cell, waiting for the officer to come back to tell us that we could make a call.

"Who are we going to call?" I asked, sighing. I stood up and started pacing a bit. My father could not figure out that I went to jail because of possession. Not again.

"Are you on good terms with your folks?" He asked. "Because, if we call Foreman then his parents will find out, along with the whole town."

"I am, somewhat, but if my father finds out I'm back to my old routine again, he'll ground me and make us move to Alaska or something," I explained. "What about you?"

"Eh, Edna's probably drunk and blowing someone right now…" He shuddered a bit. Edna must be his mother… poor thing.

I sighed, "I guess I can risk leaving again if it means that nobody else finds out. I'll call my father, then." I suppose it's a good thing that I never really spent time bonding with anyone yet. Too bad that I was finally starting to find out about Hyde, though.

The officer came over to the cell and handed me a dime. I put it into the slot, punched in the number, and waited. He finally answered.

"Hey, um, dad…"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8. Influence.

 _"What the hell do you mean you're in jail?!"_

That was the response that has left me fastened to my home for the past week now. I haven't been permitted to attend school or go to Foreman's house. I have lost almost all privileges and I even almost had my guitar taken away – which happens to be one of the only pleasurable things I've done. After my father found out the charges, he searched my room and took away everything that's seen as _unholy_. Earlier today, he sent the town's pastor, Pastor Dave, to our house to attempt to talk some sense into me – I just played along in hopes that it would score me a ticket back to civilization. I was waiting currently to find out Pastor Dave's reaction about me to my father.

I haven't heard from Hyde – or any of the others for that matter – since that night. My father has determined that he and the others are a negative influence and that I should seek others to socialize with. While what he said didn't affect me, I feared he would try to cut them out of my life completely.

I was swapping out my Zeppelin record for a Jethro Tull when my father walked into my bedroom, without knocking. He quietly sat on the corner of my bed and waited for me to put the record in before he started talking.

"I understand that we both have been through some shit, however, I want you to realize that all I want is for my little girl to be a little girl. I know you're growing up, but that gives you no right to get into trouble with the law," He paused.

I stood to sit next to him on the bed. "Look, dad…"

"I wasn't finished," He said calmly. "I believe I have punished you enough. And I cannot stop you from seeing your new friends, but if this ever happens again, then we are moving. That is final. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes," I nod.

He gives a small, yet stern, smile, "Good. Now, I told the school you would be returning Friday, which gives you tomorrow to complete your schoolwork that you missed. I'll see you tomorrow morning before work. Sleep well."

He leaves the room. I grab my guitar and start to strum when I hear a tapping on my window. I set my guitar down on my pillow and walk over to the window to open the curtain. There in front of me stands Hyde, shaking on a ladder whilst trying to keep balance. Surprised, I open the window and inquire why he climbed up my house.

"Oh, you know, I just felt like climbing things…" He stretched his way into my bedroom. The ladder he was standing on abandoned him and falls into my backyard. "Shit. Now I have to find a new exit."

"So, why, again, are you here, man?" I asked. I went back to my bed and started fiddling with my guitar.

Hyde looked at my record player and smirks, "Jethro Tull. Nice, man."

"Hyde."

"What?"

"You're avoiding my question," I insisted.

"What question?" He asked.

"Why'd you come?" I, once again, questioned.

"Oh, right, yeah…. I don't really know," He shrugged and sits on my bed next to me.

I laughed, "You weren't worried over me, were you?"

"No, nah…. Totally not, man," He said.

There was a bit of an awkward silence while I fiddled with my guitar. I kept trying to get the chords right to Going to California, but I knew there was something missing. Hyde watched, realizes what I'm trying to do, and moves closer to me.

He holds his hands out, "Here, let me see it."

I give it to him.

"This is where you're making the error," He said, showing me my mistake and adding a bit of flair to the song.

I unconsciously moved closer to see how his fingers were moving. We both ended up moving our gaze upwards at the same time. Our noses touched, that's how close we were. It was weird. It made me nervous. He made me nervous. I didn't know why. My breathing escalated quickly. He didn't pull back. I didn't either. He closed his eyes and tilted his head slightly to the side. My eyes slowly dipped close as well. Our lips were close to meeting when there was a knock on the door that jolted our bodies away from each other.

"Fuck," I whispered. "Get under my bed."

He drops the guitar and does just that.

"Yeah?" I called out.

"I made lasagna for dinner if you want some. It will be in the fridge," My father announced louder than necessary through the door.

"Thanks," I said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

After the footsteps faded, I told Hyde he could come out from under the bed.

"Sorry, I didn't know if he was going to come in or not," I apologized, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it, man. Here, let me show you how to play that."

He reached for my guitar once more to guide me step-by-step through the Zeppelin song. He stayed with me for a few hours that night. Once I knew my father was asleep, I helped him escape through the front door. He collected his ladder from the backyard and left.

I lay awake in my bed that night and wondered what would have happened if my father didn't knock on the door when we were close. I couldn't tell if I was developing feelings for him or if it was just teenage horniness, but there was definitely something going on inside of me when I thought of him.

Friday came quicker than I imagined and, honestly, I was ashamed to say that I kind of still wished I was banned from school. My father insisted on going into work late and driving me for my first day returning back, however I convinced him that it was alright and I could get myself home safety by myself, which seemed to appease him somewhat. Of course, I didn't tell him that that meant riding with Eric. Eric wasn't a bad influence, at least; well, neither was Donna. I wished my father could see that, however that would mean he'd know Hyde and Kelso were the more negative impacts of the group – a rebel and a dumbass kind of spell trouble – and I didn't want him to know that fact. I would've tried to blame the rebelliousness on Jackie, but everyone knew that the rich girl couldn't do any real shit with her reputation; honestly, I couldn't believe she was even friends with the group. I'd have to inquire later to how that happened, although I probably already knew the answer. Kelso.

The school looked a bit more vibrant today. I said goodbye to my father and he left to go to work. Once he left, I walked to the parking lot where the gang typically hung out before school. They were all there except Kelso and Jackie who were "running late."

"Saige, did you hear that the President is coming to Point Place?" Donna asked me in between the chatter.

"Wait, no way, man, really?" I was pretty shocked to say the least and I'm sure it showed on my face.

Why the hell would Ford want to come to some small rut in Wisconsin? I mean, the damn state has cheese and idiots scattered amongst the perimeters. Seattle was better than Wisconsin was and when I lived there, the weather was ninety percent rain and ten percent "Is that smog? I think that is smog," man.

"Yeah," She said. "I mean, since they announced it recently, it means we get to at least get out of third period for an assembly about it."

"Wicked, man," Hyde chimed in. "No calculus."

"I don't have gym now!" Eric beamed.

Donna chuckled and muttered, "Well, you surely _don't_ need to be in gym class…."

"Hmm, Donna?" Eric retorted sarcastically.

"Oh, me? Nope, that was Hyde talking," Donna said quickly.

Hyde playfully shoved Donna in the arm, "Cool it, Pinciotti."

Jackie and Kelso pulled up in their car next to Eric's. Fez was in the back of the car waving towards everyone, overly cheerful; he probably heard the news and thought he'd be able to meet the President himself. I felt kind of bad; I didn't mind Fez as much as the others did and really wanted him to have the opportunity to meet the President if he wanted to do so, but that was a long shot in America. Eh, one could dream, nonetheless.

They all filed out of the car, greeted us, and not too long later the bell rang, alerting us to go inside the school building.

 _Two periods and then the assembly_ , I kept thinking as the two hours seemed to drag on. I had my two most obnoxious classes first in the day, so missing third period felt like a waste of a missed period. Regardless, I was still content with missing class; since I wasn't skipping, it meant missing class and no follow-up detention, which was worth it.

The school was all called down to the auditorium between the second and third period bells. I tried my best to find one of my friends through the crowd, but had a bit of difficulty considering how many people attended Point Place High. I missed having a large campus and small amount of students in Seattle; life was so much simpler there; I missed it. I eventually met up with Donna who helped me locate the auditorium. Our friends were standing in the back, far away from the others when we arrived.

Most of the assembly was boring nonsense about respecting the President like we would our elders; I kind of almost fell asleep a few times, but Donna woke me up because I kept falling on her. Returning to school after two weeks was more difficult than I imagined it would be, especially since in those two weeks I reverted back to sleeping during the daytime.

After the assembly was over and we went to lunch, Hyde started talking about the President's arrival and his brilliant plan to mock him. Eric and Kelso chimed in with ideas as well. Honestly, messing with the President didn't sound like a horrible idea.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9. I'll Streak, Man.

The guys' plan was simple. And foolproof for that matter. Basically, when the President comes to Point Place to give his speech, we'd all attend with our parents since they were invited. However, right before the presentation began, we'd all slowly – one by one – say that we were going to use the restroom. Once in the restroom, we'd strip down naked in all but a trench coat. Then we'd re-enter the room and cluster in the back of it behind one of the US flags. Once Ford was to start his speech, we'd all run out with masks on, strip naked, and run. The only dilemma – one that I had mentioned – was that we'd have to have someone to catch and bring us our trench coats. That person ended up being Jackie, since she didn't want to strip in front of the guys; Donna would've done it but apparently her father expected her to wear some kind of flamboyant jumpsuit.

We had about a day to gather everything since the President wouldn't be coming to Point Place until Sunday. The only problem we ran into was where we'd get the trench coats. Eric got one from his dad's closet and Hyde apparently had one lying around. That left Kelso, Fez, and I to either dumpster dive for them or buy them. I was broke so I didn't really have any options. Fez said that someone else would have to get the trench coat for him since his Exchange Program parents would question why a trench coat would be on his Student Visa. Eventually, Jackie ended up caving in and saying that she'd purchase trench coats for the three of us.

"When is Jackie getting back with our coats, man?" Kelso complained, while flipping through the channels on the television.

We were waiting for her return in Eric's basement. Eric said that he had to stay home incase his mom had a 'pie emergency' and he had to go out to the store to get more filling. Apparently, according to Eric, Kitty was going somewhat overboard on the whole American colored pie thing. I supposed that was normal for housewives… I mean, the President doesn't just show up every Sunday.

The door to the basement opened to Jackie without any bags in her hand and Fez trailing along with what seemed like heavy bags full of clothes.

"Did you get the coats?" I asked and stood up to close the door behind Fez.

"Mmmhmm," She smiled. "They're cute."

Hyde raised an eyebrow, "Cute?"

Kelso's eyes widened, "Jackie, don't tell me you…"

"They're pink!" Jackie squealed.

Fez took them out of the bags, "Aren't they pretty?"

"Jackie, man, we're not supposed to look 'cute'," I sighed. "You're screwing it up, man."

Eric rolled his eyes, "Look, it'll just be the two of us, then Hyde. It's not a huge deal."

"More people equals more power, man!" Hyde argued.

We heard footsteps scattering down the steps. I looked over to see Kitty, exhausted, with an apron around her waist.

"Eric, go get more blueberry filling! I only have red and white and I need blue," She said before marching back up the stairs.

Eric sighed and grabbed his keys.

Sunday came. Hyde ended up finding an extra trench coat for Kelso to borrow, but none for Fez or myself. I went with Jackie Saturday night to return the pink ones before the store had closed but they didn't have any normal khaki ones left, so I just figured that I'd help with the execution of the plan instead. We all stood huddled around the bathrooms outside of the conference room. The guys talking amongst each other while Donna and I conversed.

"I know you don't want to wear it, but it would make your family happy, man," I insisted. I had to admit, it was embarrassing as hell, but at least she had a family that cared enough to want her to do it with them.

"I know," She sighed. "I guess I'll go change."

She walked away into the womens' restroom with the jumpsuit in hand. I decided to join the guys' conversation when Jackie strolled along to greet us, before going into the conference room to sit with her father.

"I don't think we should do it," Kelso said.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned. "We already made the plan and everything.

Kelso looked to the floor, "There are dogs. And we'd be naked. And you know, that thing guys have…"

"Oh, shit. You're right. I'm out," Hyde said.

"Count me out, as well," Eric agreed.

"Fine," I insisted and walked into the conference room to sit with my father. If they didn't want to do it, then I just wouldn't sit with them for the event.

After some time music began playing dimly in the background and President Ford came up to the stand. We all stood and applauded for him before taking a seat and listening to him speak. Towards the end of his speech, Red Foreman was told to go up to the microphone in the middle of the crowd to ask the President a question. However, when he got up there he seemed a bit nervous and didn't speak. After some time of waiting – behind me – I heard Eric's voice yelling and watched him run past me completely nude with a Nixon mask on; he managed to run out of the room, with Hyde and Kelso – dressed in trench coats – chasing behind him.

I turned my gaze to my father who wasn't paying any attention to me and decided it was about time to sneak out the back. I left right as Red was gathering the courage to sass the President. I found the guys in the hallway – Eric, thankfully, dressed. The guys were cheering with him for his accomplishment.

"That was rad, man," I smirked. "But I still wish that Jackie didn't buy me a pink trench coat. I would've loved to streak in front of the President."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10. Sparking a Questionable Interest.

The week that proceeded the streaking incident was pretty dull, besides a few good school pranks orchestrated by Hyde that I got to witness. I was becoming closer friends with Donna – she was the most relatable of all of them and the least dramatic; she also had a decent taste in music after I got the chance to analyze her bedroom walls. We planned a sleepover for Friday afterschool, which, I know, sounds girly, but it was a good plan to get my father to trust me again – and I figured we'd have a good time listening to music.

After the school day ended on Friday, I went home to go pack a stay-over bag. I only brought the essentials. Donna told me that once Jackie slept over and brought two suitcases worth of clothes and makeup – and she was only staying over for the weekend. I was glad that Jackie didn't seem interested in befriending me – I don't know if I could deal with her drama, honestly; I mean, she didn't seem horrible, but she was definitely annoying. I had always had a low tolerance for things that aggravated me, unfortunately.

Before leaving, I said goodbye to my father, gave him the Pinciotti's phone number in case of emergencies, and walked to Donna's house across the street. I knocked on the door to be greeted by her father, Bob Pinciotti. I had yet to formally meet him but heard he was a bit odd.

"Why, hello there, neighbor. I'm Donna's dad; Donna's upstairs getting herself all ready for your girly sleepover," He greeted me and I walked in.

I didn't really know what to reply with, so I nodded and scurried upstairs. He was a bit too happy for my taste. When I walked into Donna's room, I could hear Zeppelin humming from her record player.

"Hey," I smiled and put my small bag of stuff in the corner of the room.

"Hey, what's up?" She greeted back.

"Oh, y'know. I almost was forced into a nice conversation with your dad about 'girly stuff'," I smirked.

She frowned, "Oh, I'm sorry. He's just like that."

I shook my head to reassure her, "No worries. It's not a big deal, man. Well, as long as you're not actually interested in doing girly stuff; you have Jackie for that."

She chuckled and stood up off of her bed. "Actually," she began. "I was thinking of going to play basketball with Eric and Fez, if you're interested."

The way she said Fez's name was a bit weird, almost like she was trying to insinuate something, but I shrugged it off.

"Sure! Though, I haven't played in a while…" I told her as we walked down the stairs.

"Oh, no worries," She held the back door open for me. "We just kind of shoot hoops and count points."

We walked over to Eric's driveway where the guys stood waiting.

"Why aren't Kelso and Hyde playing with us?" I questioned.

"Oh, well, um, Kelso has been having problems with Jackie… Hyde thought it was in his best interest if he helped him," Eric said.

"Hello, Saige," Fez came over to me and greeted.

I smiled, "Hey, what's up man?"

"Oh, you know, the beautiful sky."

"Yeah…" I trailed off. Fez was pretty cool but sometimes he could say the oddest things.

"So, anyways, let's just play some ball," Donna said and threw the ball at Eric.

Eric kind of caught the ball, but it almost stumbled out of his hands. However, he recovered from his fall quickly and efficiently and passed by Fez – who was distracted – to shoot the basketball into the hoop.

He threw the ball at Donna who was on my team and she was quick to dodge Eric and shoot the basket. Eric was next, however he couldn't get past Donna who swiped it. I ended up swiping it from Fez and Eric a few times and in the end, we won.

The sun eventually set and we all sat outside Eric's house with lemonade that Kitty insisted we try – it was actually pretty refreshing after a victorious win.

"So, Saige, what kind of music do you like?" Fez inquired. "Do you like the disco?"

He proceeded to stand up and fling his body into what appeared to be an awkward dance move.

"Um…."

Eric intervened, "What Fez meant is that he enjoys disco music and there is a disco dance in Kenosha that is scheduled for a few months from now that he would like to take you to."

"Um, I mean, a few months from now… I don't really dance, Fez." I sighed. I felt bad for him being so incredibly awkward. I mean he was attractive enough, but still…

"What Saige means is that she'll consider it and get back to you, Fez," Donna said.

 _Well, I mean, it was a few months away. What could really happen in that time_? I thought and nodded to Fez.

"Is that a yes?" Fez seemed excited.

I smiled, "Sure, man."

Later that night after Donna and I went back to her house, we were talking about the guys and the group in general.

"I feel bad for Fez," I sighed.

Donna was changing out the record to a Grateful Dead vinyl that I brought with me.

"I know. It's nice that you said yes, though. He really likes you," She came back to sit next to me on her bed. "Speaking of which, is there anyone you like yet? I mean you've been here for a little while now. There's got to be someone sparking your interest."

I blushed, "I don't know. I've never really had a girl to talk to so talking about this kind of stuff is kind of weird, I guess."

"Well, if there was one person you'd be okay dating," She persisted. "Even if it isn't in our group."

I thought for a minute but my mind kept going back to the same person. It was unrealistic though, because of how much of an insensitive jerk he could be but…. "I mean, I guess Hyde."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11. Heartbreaker.

By the next day, I was sure at least Eric already knew of the _juicy_ information I given Donna at our sleepover. I trusted Donna not to tell anyone like Kelso or Fez, but I had a feeling that Eric – who seemed like he could be idiotic at times – would tell them; I just feared it would eventually get to Hyde. I knew right after I'd told Donna that I'd regret it and I did. I had just needed something to get my mind off of the whole thing…

I opened the basement door to Foreman's house and closed the door tightly behind me.

"Yo, Hyde," I said, sitting myself down on the old sofa next to Eric.

He looked away from the television for a split second. I couldn't tell his expression behind his glasses, but he looked like he was in a bad mood; it was probably tiredness since it couldn't have been directed towards me after he visited me a while back at my house that night. He seemed to be more content with me around.

"What?" He spat. "I'm busy."

Or not.

"Damn," I stood up. "Nevermind. I'll just go get my own. But I'm running out of cash, dammit."

I was about to walk out the door when he sighed and stood up. He went over to the back room of the basement and came back with a sweet stash.

"Just this once," He grumbled. "And it was my idea first, man."

Eric tried to ease the tension by making some random comment that fell on deaf ears. After some time moving furniture, we got the circle started. Kelso – almost as if he sensed what was happening – busted his way through the door of the basement and came to sit in the circle with us. Damn, he was a klutz and didn't even bother to close the door; he made me do it instead.

When I walked back and sat down, it was my turn to take a hit and I passed it along. After some time, we were all laughing our asses off and I was completely out of it; I could hardly tell if my thoughts were my thoughts or if it was the guys talking at some points and one of my legs was numb.

"So, there's this car, man," Hyde began, giddy. "And it runs on water. It runs on water man. The damn car runs on water."

"Yknow what's funny, man," Eric practically passed out from oxygen by the rate he was laughing. "Saige, you should tell him."

"What?" I giggled.

"You know, that you like him?" Eric pressed, dazed.

Kelso practically jumped out of his seat, "Whoa, man, you like me!"

"Kelso, you have a girlfriend, she's got to be talking about me," Hyde chuckled. Then it dawned on him what Eric said. "Holy shit, man. You like me. That's cute. Eric, tell her that she's hot."

"Can't she hear you, man?" Eric asked.

The conversation went on for a while. I was too out of it to be angered by what Eric said or even remember for that matter.

The next morning I woke up in a groggy daze and immediately showered off all the sweat from sleeping in my warm bed. After my relaxing shower, I decided to skip blow drying my hair and walked back to my bedroom where I grabbed out my notebook that I wrote my stoned thoughts into; I would write in it every time I got high so I knew vaguely what happened.

 **1976\. Circle was rad. Hyde digs me back. Cool, man.**

What the hell was that supposed to mean? Hyde was acting like an ass when I walked over there; he acted the same as before, as if nothing almost happened between us. Maybe he was just a douchey player, but it made no sense that I'd write that…. Unless….

Pissed off, I threw on a light jacket over my tank top and my boots and marched my ass over to Foreman's. I barged my way into the basement to find – surprisingly – Hyde, asleep on the sofa. He was woken up a bit by my slamming of the door. Damn, I had forgotten it was eight in the morning…

"Shit, I'm sorry."

I was about to show myself the way out when he told me to wait and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"Okay… Why are you here anyways?" I asked.

"It was a long night and I was too out of it to make it home," He said and then muttered: "Not that Edna would've noticed anyways."

I sat next to him on the sofa. He seemed a bit more hospitable today, which was nice. _Maybe he was just in a bad mood yesterday_ , I thought to myself.

We both gazed into each other's eyes at the same time. Since he had just woken up, he wasn't wearing his aviators that distracted from his beautiful, crystal eyes. It made him look younger, more lively, to not wear his dark shades. He held my gaze carefully as he moved closer to me whilst simultaneously pulling me closer with an arm slinked caressingly along my back. My breaths had quickened in pace without me even knowing until then. I could feel my cheeks warm with a rosy blush swept across them. He tilted his head to the side and closed his eyes; I did the same and in the next moment our lips connected harmonically.

It was a sweet kiss at first until I sat myself on my knees to balance myself better; I wrapped one arm around his neck and shoved the other free hand into his hair. He pulled me closer to him and made our kisses hungrier – more aggressive and needy. I could feel myself falling onto my back as he tried to claim dominance. Usually, with most guys, I would fight it and try to take charge but this time I decided to go with the flow of things.

Through the kisses, I licked his lips, to which he opened his mouth into mine and I was able to gain control of his tongue. This war continued for a minute or two until all of the sudden we heard footsteps. Immediately, he pushed himself off of me and threw a blanket over me so that I wouldn't be seen. I lay as flat as I could.

I heard Eric's voice telling Hyde that if he wanted to stay for breakfast that it was ready and then he walked back upstairs. I took the blanket off of myself and sat up.

"Damn," He sighed. "That was close."

"I know."

"I mean, my whole reputation was at stake," He sighed, shaking his head.

"What the hell do you mean?" I asked, almost offended.

"Well, I mean you're hot and all but I'm notorious for one night stands," He admitted. "And I don't want you or anyone else to get the wrong idea since you're not a slut like most of the girls I do it with. Foreman wouldn't think I'd take advantage of you, so he'd assume I turned soft."

"So, you admit you were taking advantage of me, then?" I was appalled. "Damn, Hyde. That was low."

I went to go leave.

"Wait, that's not what I meant!" He sounded frustrated and tried to grab my arm but his grasp held no power.

I heard him muttering profanity under his breath as I shut the door behind myself.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12. Distractions.

I didn't let Hyde's bullshit stop me from enjoying my Sunday. That afternoon, my dad let me take his car out because I told him that I was going to seek employment somewhere. I had three options that were in a biking radius from where I lived: Bargain Bob's, Fatso Burger, and the Photo Hut. If I worked at the Photo Hut, I could probably get free developed pictures but if there was someone else besides the pothead working there, then I wouldn't get hired. Fatso Burger was an easy fallback from the Photo Hut, considering I had all the qualifications of a typical Fatso employee. Bargain Bob's made me kind of nervous because Donna said that it was her father's shop and I didn't feel like acquainting myself with her father again anytime soon.

The first place I parked my father's car was, of course, the Photo Hut. I walked to the back and knocked on the small door, however I received no answer. I tried opening the door and to my surprise it opened.

"Hello?" I called as I walked inside.

"Yeah, man," A voice mumbled. "In here."

I followed the voice to the dark room where the guy who I met last time I came was developing pictures.

"I was wondering if you were hiring," I stated, shifting my weight between my two feet to balance myself in the dark.

"Um, well let me see," He paused for a minute. "Yeah, man, why not? I'd love to have some help around here."

I was shocked, "Wait, really? You don't need a resume or anything?"

"No, that's silly, man," He chuckled.

"Wicked!" I exclaimed. "When do I start?"

"Um…. Right now?" He laughed.

"Sure, man. But do you have a phone anywhere? I need to call my dad."

The week that proceeded was uneventful for the most part. Leo, my new boss, gave me a schedule that consisted of Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays afterschool until seven – which gave me twelve hours during the week to make money – as well as Sunday afternoons from one to seven; I was thankful that he let me create it for the most part so that I'd have breathing room in between. I liked keeping busy, but I also liked my time for solitude and partying as well.

I figured that for the most part, I'd spend Saturdays with the group and get the other days I was off to do whatever I wanted. It felt kind of nice to actually have a paying job and it seemed simple enough to do

Eric was the only one that was actively interested in hearing about my job, which I didn't mind – I enjoyed conversing with him and Donna more than the others most of the time, since they seemed to be the only ones with good heads on their shoulders. The weeks that followed he had told me that I inspired him to get his own job at Fatso Burger; I was honestly really proud of him, since the others didn't have the initiative that he possessed.

The weeks that proceeded were honestly pretty uneventful. I became closer with Eric, Donna, and Fez while distancing myself from Kelso, Jackie, and Hyde – besides when I'd catch them starting the circle, then I'd temporarily let my guard down. I focused on my work and my music; I was getting pretty good at guitar and my singing had improved a bit, since I had more time to work on it.

It felt almost kind of weird distancing myself more from the group. As much as I loved the income that flowed in, I felt like I should cut back my hours some. I also felt that I was the reason I was losing touch with the group since I completely cut Hyde off – excluding when I was high. I realized how immature I was being one day last week when I had seen him – alone – looking depressed. It was now Saturday and I figured that I should start being an active member of the group again.

I woke up around noon that day and took my time getting ready. Leo had told me that I could have Sunday off since he had to close early attend some dance in Kenosha, which meant I had the whole weekend to myself. Before immersing myself in a weekend of solitude, I decided to finally go back over to Foreman's; it was the first time in three weeks that I went on my own accord, without being persuaded by clouds of smoke.

The basement door was locked, so I went over to the sliding glass door at the side of the house. Nobody was in the kitchen, so I walked into the living room. Upon entering, I found Kitty dancing to disco music with Hyde.

"Um, did I interrupt?" I held back a chuckle. "I can go, I mean, I can leave you two alone."

I started to walk towards the basement door when Kitty spoke.

"Oh, I'm just teaching Steven how to dance!" She gave me a signature Kitty laugh. "There's a dance in Kenosha tomorrow night and the boys are going with Donna and Jackie. Did nobody tell you about it?"

"Maybe if she had been around we would have," Hyde muttered.

"Oh, Steven, play nice," Kitty scolded lightly. Something lit up in her eyes. "Oh, Steven! You and Saige should go together now that you know how to dance!"

"No, that's okay, Mrs. Foreman," I smiled politely. "I don't dance."

She pushed Hyde in front of her and said, "Steven, teach her, then."

She then excused herself so that she could go make lunch for Red and Eric.

"You're not actually going to teach me, right?" I smirked. "I doubt you even learned shit, man. I mean, I don't doubt Kitty's abilities, but you don't seem like a good student in any manner, man."

He chuckled, "Really? You want to see what I can do?"

"Sure," I said.

He held out his hand, "Then you're going to have to be my dance partner. I can't dance alone."

I sighed. What was the worst that could come of this?

"Fine," I agreed and took his hand.

He turned the music back on and guided me swiftly to disco. I really hated disco music, but his moves were actually pretty stable. I stumbled on my feet a few times, but he managed to catch me before I fell on my ass.

By the time the song was over, we stopped. Our faces were close to each other; he had an arm securely held around my waist.

"I really hate disco music," He breathed.

"Agreed."

"So, um, I know a lot of shit has happened, but would you like to go to the disco with me tomorrow night?" He asked.

I nodded, "Sure."

I wasn't sure if I was making a mistake, but being so close to him made it impossible for me to utilize rational judgment in that moment so I didn't care. So much for having a quiet weekend to myself.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13. Dazed, However Not Particularly Confused.

Believe it or not, I felt so ecstatic that that night I called Jackie to tell her that Hyde had asked me to the disco. While we chatted for a nice few minutes, she ended it with some smart ass comment about how we were 'perfect for each other because we both dressed like trailer trash.' That's when I hung up on her and opted to spend my night practicing songs on my guitar instead. I lit some incense and opened my window half way; I grabbed my guitar and sat in the middle of my bed. After a few warm up exercises, I played all I could of Going to California, however I yearned so desperately to be able to finish it. I wasn't that great with listening to a song and then playing it; I never was able to develop a musician's ear like my friends back in Seattle did. After a while, I got stressed out and laid the guitar beside me.

However, there wasn't enough time for me to delve my energy into a different activity before I saw a figure outside of my window. I almost screamed until it started speaking and I realized who it was.

"Hey, Fez told me he heard you struggling with guitar," Hyde said and pushed the rest of the window up to let himself in. His sunglasses, as usual, brimmed his eyes, making his expression impossible. I couldn't tell if he was annoyed or if there was a hidden smirk in his eyes that didn't show on his lips.

"Watch out for the incense," I warned; it was sitting on the windowsill.

He carefully glided over the sweet smoke and sat next to me on my bed.

"Wait, did you say Fez heard me?" I had just realized what he said.

Hyde chuckled briefly and then said, "You'll get used to it. He's kind of a perv, but he's harmless. But, be warned, check your closer before bed. And under your bed."

"Thanks for the warning," I smirked. I picked up my guitar. "I'm actually kind of glad you're here. I know most of Going to Cali, but I just can't seem to get the end of it right."

"Here, let me see."

I handed him my guitar and watched his fingers as he played the whole song from start to finish; he kept in mind to do it very slowly so that I could sight read the notes easily.

"That was beautiful," I mumbled, a bit star struck. I never knew someone who possessed such an incredibly aura when they played guitar; it was as if he was the guitar when he played.

"Do you want to try?" He asked.

He was about to hand over the guitar to me when I requested if he could play more. I was taken aback by my own question but he seemed content with that. As he played Stairway to Heaven, I found myself leaning my head against his shoulder. Time seemed to pass as he went through several different Zeppelin songs. Around eleven, he finally stopped and looked down at me.

"I can leave if you want to get some sleep. We have a big evening tomorrow." He said.

"I can just sleep during the day," I yawned.

"But you're tired," He argued.

I sighed, "One more song, please."

He nodded and picked up the guitar once more.

After the song was over, he walked across the room to place it on its wall rack. He came back to the bed and sat down next to me.

"I have something I need to tell you, Saige," He mumbled and took off his aviator shades.

"What is it?" I asked, hoping it wasn't something bad.

"I've missed you," He admitted. "And I didn't mean what I said a while back. I was being stupid and insensitive. I'm just not used to meeting people like you. Most girls are fine having sex with me but afterwards want nothing to do with me and I took you for that by mistake. But I can see that you're much more than that."

Instead of replying, I caressed his cheek slowly and then went in to kiss him softly. He took my face within his hands and deepened the kiss. I moved closer to him to the point where I was almost sitting on his lap. I knew that I should've tried to keep things from progressing so fast without knowing much about him, but I couldn't help it; a part of me was internally afraid he'd hurt me worse than a month ago, but I didn't have the proper rationality to care in that moment and so I let it progress.

I glided my tongue along his lips inside the kiss and gained entrance to his mouth, which tasted like a mix of cinnamon and cigarettes – I didn't know if he smoked other things, but I assumed he did after that. Our tongues battled for dominance, as I moved closer to the point where I was straddling his lap. I subconsciously grinded my hips against his and heard a low, quiet growl escape his lips.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and I shoved my hands through his curly locks, careful to not get tangled in them. He broke away for a moment to lustfully gaze at my body. I was only wearing a small tank top and cotton shorts – I wasn't expecting company and didn't think to shrug a shirt on when he came up to my window.

As his lips reattached to mine, I could feel his hands gently creeping up my tank top. Thankfully, I grew out of being ticklish when I was twelve or we would've had an interesting situation of me spaz laughing. His warm, rough hands eventually found my breasts and lightly squeezed them which resulted in me moaning into his mouth. Our lips detached again and he pulled off my tank, discarding it across the room on the floor.

He readjusted our position to a laying one, where he was on top. One of his hands massaged my breast, while his other hand rested against my hips, lightly teasing me. His lips moved down to my neck, where he began to get more aggressive. He nibbled down my neck until he reached the breast that wasn't being caressed and attached his mouth to the nipple. I moaned, accidently, again. He looked up at me and smirked before continuing what he was doing.

The hand that rested against my hips started to wander down towards the elastic lining of my underwear. He swiftly took my cotton shorts off and pushed them aside. His fingers wandered around the linings of my underwear until he moved to the middle of them. I moaned in anticipation. He was going so slow it was killing me. I thought of a way to speed things up. My hands moved to the bottom of his shirt and I took it off and threw it to the floor. I could tell he wanted to be in control because before I could go further, he slid my underwear off and it hung around my ankles. One of his fingers entered me and I moaned, once again. It had been way too long since I've actually experienced anything sexual and I wasn't backing out now. My fingers dug into his back and my body arched against him, craving more.

His lips met mine again as he stuck a second finger in, pulsing it in and out fast.

We were interrupted when I heard a knock on my door.

"Are you okay? I heard some strange noises from down the hall." My dad asked. "Can I come in?"

Oh, fuck me…


End file.
